SJ Discount Tools: Deal on OA torch to good to be true?

I'm looking to purchase my first oxy-acetylene setup. I'm a metalshaping hobbiest. I'll be mostly welding sheet steel and aluminum but also doing some tubing as well as cutting and heating. The Victor torch tote looks like a good solution. Its small and even includes the bottles. I've seen it as high as $460. Most online discounters have it for $350 (e.g. arizona tool). A search on froogle turned up one retailer seling it for $280:

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/fir03840649.html

Is this too good to be true? Does anyone have any experience with this vendor (SJ Discount Tools)?

Thanks,
Ken

[rookie]

Hi Ken, I have a small set up(like the one shown) that I purchased while living in California, just to have one to use. It works fairly well if you are welding thin steel and will cut 1/4" plate if you pre heat it a bit, however, it will empty the tanks VERY quickly if used for cutting. It'll last fairly long if only used for casual welding. One plus is it has small tip which makes it useful for aluminum sheet gas welding and you generally can exchange tanks at some hardware stores. MY recommendation is, buy a set of larger bottles from a welding supply, then later on buy a larger torch set, a Henrob, Smiths, or the larger Victor when you can afford it. This may not be what you wanted to hear, but the smaller torch is very lmited in it's uses. BUT, it IS better than nothing.

All the best, Phil Gilmore (rookie)

[Kerry Pinkerton]

Originally Posted by kenklose

...
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/fir03840649.html

Is this too good to be true...

Ken

Ken, that is what is commonly called a AC tech torch. Primarily used for AC/Refig work to silflos and sweat copper. Those small tanks are pretty expensive to fill. Read that a LOT more expensive than larger tanks. Plus, most welding supplies will not swap them out and only send them off to be filled. Major pain. Couple the lack of capacity with the cost and it isn't as good a deal as it looks.

Beats the heck out of trying to carry a couple 80 lb tanks up to a roof just to change out a compressor though.

Kerry, I took your advice and opted for tanks from my local welding supply. I got a medium duty Victor-like torch set and cart from Northern Tool and rented the smallest tanks my welding supply place would rent (60 and 80 cu. ft. -- they're HUGE!)

Its Sat afternoon and I finally got the time to hook everything up. The oxy hooked up no problem (male threads on tank, female on regulator). But the acet is weird. Both the tank and the regulator have male threads. I guess I need some sort of adapter. I'm a little miffed that it didn't come with my welding outfit and now I'll have to wait 'til Monday.

Or did I get some kind of mutant acetylene tank?

Originally Posted by kenklose

Kerry, I took your advice and opted for tanks from my local welding supply. I got a medium duty Victor-like torch set and cart from Northern Tool and rented the smallest tanks my welding supply place would rent (60 and 80 cu. ft. -- they're HUGE!)

Its Sat afternoon and I finally got the time to hook everything up. The oxy hooked up no problem (male threads on tank, female on regulator). But the acet is weird. Both the tank and the regulator have male threads. I guess I need some sort of adapter. I'm a little miffed that it didn't come with my welding outfit and now I'll have to wait 'til Monday.

Or did I get some kind of mutant acetylene tank?

The acetylene tanks come in 2 styles. You need to go back to your welding/gas supplier and get the correct tank One other thing you may want to consider are anti-flashback arrestor's :shock:
.............Ralph

[Dutch Comstock]

Ken,Your welding supplier will sell you an adapter to allow your gage to fit your new tanks. Something to remember about the small tanks that you bought is that they also don`t hold much product so when you start using the bottles up quickly it is a lot cheaper to buy larger bottle as the cost per cubic foot ofgass is a lot cheaper.